LANDING THAT ACADEMIC JOB: THE ART OF GIVING A JOB TALK

LANDING THAT ACADEMIC JOB:
THE ART OF GIVING A JOB TALK
STEPHANIE T. LANZA, SCIENTIFIC DIRECTOR
THE METHODOLOGY CENTER
THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY
NOVEMBER 5, 2010

Why am I qualified to talk about this?
M.S. in mathematical sciences
Ph.D. in social sciences
As Scientific Director of a research
center at Penn State, I have seen
Many great job talks…
And even more flawed ones

Introduction to today’s talk
1. What must your job talk accomplish?
2. Structuring an excellent talk
3. Presentation style counts
4. Tips for conducting an effective Q&A
5. How can you prepare?

What must your job talk accomplish?

What must your job talk accomplish?
Convince people not in your area that you are
the best candidate by explaining:
1. Why the problem is interesting (why should
the audience care?)
2. Why the problem is hard
3. How you have solved it (and that you have
solved it)

Convince your audience:
That you are a great researcher
That you can teach
That you can stand independently of
your advisor

Show them you are a great researcher:
Discuss how you came to your research
focus
Demonstrate academic depth and
breadth
Show where your research is going in the
future

Show them you can teach:
Present/communicate clearly
Demonstrate enthusiasm
Make use of various media
Do not assume too much content
knowledge
Answer questions well

Show them you are independent:
Demonstrate that you can stand
independently of your advisor
Answer thoughtfully in the Q & A

Structuring an excellent talk

Structuring an excellent talk
Include an outline/overview of the talk on
a slide near the beginning
Spend first 5 minutes on your background
Then progress to more technical material
End with future research

Tips for an excellent talk
Tell them what you are going to say.
Say it.
Then tell them what you said.

More tips for an excellent talk
Have a clear thesis: know what you want
your audience to remember from the talk,
and then tell them those points over and
over in different ways
Make sure researchers outside of your field
can understand your research, if not all the
technical material

More tips for an excellent talk
Remember: you are not just describing
your research, you are describing you
Make sure the talk is not to long
Be willing to make cuts “on the fly”
Make it clear where the background
if information ends and where your
contribution begins

Presentation style counts

Presentation Style
Don’t talk to quickly or quietly
Talk to the audience, not the screen or
computer
Be inclusive in your language
g
Use “she” as well as “he”
Do not make the powerpoint itt too “fancy”
Try to appear excited, interested, and
dynamic when presenting your research

Tips for conducting an effective Q&A

Tips for an effective Q&A
Be prepared! You might have a highly
interactive Q & A or a quiet one
This is reflection of the group, not you
Repeat a question so everyone has heard
it
At the end of an answer, do not ask if
you’ve answered someone’s question

More tips for an effective Q&A
Consider preparing a few extra slides
with more technical content, discussion
material, etc. for use during Q&A
Be open to new ideas
Make the faculty member asking the
question feel smart

How can you prepare?

How to prepare
Prepare early; attend talks in your
department to gather ideas
Practice, practice, practice! Rehearse
more than once and in front of an
audience.
Have someone proof your slides and
handouts

Do your research
Know your audience
This should inform content and level
Know big names in the department
Know faculty doing similar research to yours
Backgrounds of Department Head, Dean
Recent departmental news

Summary
Convey that you are a great researcher and
teacher, and can stand independently of your
advisor
Tell them what you are going to say, say it,
and then tell them what you said
Talk to you audience, share your enthusiasm
Be open and honest during the question and
answer session
Practice, practice, practice